Your child will be offered a number of health checks to help monitor their development.

Childhood screening

Screening for children continues up to the age of 16 and is designed to make sure that any health problems they may have are spotted and can be dealt with early. Tests include:

The school entry health check

All children have key indicators of health assessed at primary school entry, when they are four to five years old. This is called the School Entry Health Check. This check will only be done if the parent consents. It consists of three parts:

• Growth. A school nurse will measure the height and weight of your child. If either are found to be very high or low, your child will be referred to your GP or a community paediatrician for further investigation.
• Hearing. While most hearing problems should be detected earlier, a school nurse will assess your child's hearing when your child enters school. The test, called a sweep hearing test, will aim to confirm that your child's hearing is normal at different frequencies of sound. If the test reveals any hearing problems your child will be referred to a GP.
• Vision. Your child will be checked for a range of common visual impairments. A trained orthoptist (someone who diagnoses and treats problems with vision) conducts the examination. This is usually a standard eye test (also known as a vision acuity test), where the child is asked to read lines of letters from a chart. Your child may be referred to a GP or optician for further investigation if there is a problem with their sight.

Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a sight-threatening condition. All people with diabetes at the age of 12 and over should be screened for it annually. If your child is diabetic, soon after his or her 12th birthday you'll receive a letter inviting them for diabetic retinopathy screening. This usually takes place at your GP surgery, a local optometrist or a local hospital.

Childhood testing

In addition to the screening programmes discussed above, there are a wide range of medical tests that your child may encounter, typically at the recommendation of your GP. These include:

The New Patient Health Check

Whenever a new patient registers with a GP, either as an adult or child, selected tests are carried out as part of the New Patient Health Check. This check applies to all children aged five and over. The GP will:

• Measure your child's height and weight.
• Ask your child to provide a sample of urine to check for diabetes.
• Measure your child's blood pressure. High blood pressure problems are unusual in pre-teen children, but all children aged five and over should have their blood pressure tested just in case.   

Anaemia

If your child displays symptoms such as tiredness, faintness and difficulty breathing, it's possible they may be suffering from anaemia. To check for it, your GP may recommend a blood test to measure the level of red cells in the blood.

Thyroid function

The thyroid is a gland that produces hormones that regulate the body's metabolism (the rate at which it uses energy). If it isn't functioning properly your child may experience health problems. Thyroid problems are most common in children around the age of puberty. Your GP can do a blood test to check this. Symptoms of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can include:

• weight gain, 
• tiredness,
• hoarse voice,
• delayed puberty, and
• rough, dry skin.

Symptoms of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) include:

• tremors,
• irritability,
• excessive crying or over-emotional behaviour,
• short attention span,
• increased appetite,
• weight loss, and
• an inability to thrive. 

Lung and airway function

Lung and airway functions can become impaired because of a variety of conditions, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

To asses your child's lung function your GP can perform a peak flow test. Your child will be asked to blow hard into a hand-held peak flow meter. If there is a problem with your child's lung function, your GP will recommend further investigation.